Shade support and extinguisher for candles



Nov. 7, 1950 MCHOLLAN 2,528,604

SHADE SUPPORT AND EXTINGUISHER FOR CANDLES Filed July 15, 1948 e ll 4535 E: 36 I? E? a 79 INVENTOR.

'11.) l. (/flME5A.MC//OL LAN 57 73 16 By ATTOR x Patented Nov. 7, 1950SHADE SUPPORT'AND EXTINGUISHER FOR CANDLES James A. McHollan, ValleyStream, N. Y.

Application July 13, 1948, Serial No. 38,490

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a candle-shade supporter. The general objectof the invention is to provide a candle-shade supporter which is simplein construction, pleasing in appearance and easily applied to a candleand so that the location of the shade on the candle may be readilyadjusted,

and one which may or may not have incorporated in it novel automaticcandle-extinguishing means which will extinguish the candle flame whenthe candle has burned down to the top of the supporter. Myshade-supporter may be used not only on wax candles but upon candles ofthe electric type, but of course when used on candles of the electrictype the automatic candle-extinguishing means is omitted or does notfunction.

This application is a continuationin-part of my application Ser. No.769,586, filed August 20, 1947, now abandoned.

The invention will be understood from the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which two forms of theinvention are illustrated. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing how acandle-shade rests on a supporter embodying the form of the inventionwhich is not provided with the automatic candleextinguishing means; Fig.2' is a sectional plan view on the plane 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asectional elevation showing the candle-shade resting on a supporterembodying the form of the invention which contains the automaticcandleextinguishing means; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View on the plane4- l of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan, similar to Fig. 4,illustrating the position of the automatic candle-extinguishing meansafter it has functioned to extinguish a candle.

Referring to the drawing, it will be apparent that a candle-shade whichcooperates with both forms .of th supporter (hereinafter described) mayhave a tubular portion Ill which at its bottom is provided with anupwardly and inwardly extending flange H the form of which willbeapparent from Figs. 1 and 3. Both forms of candle-shade supporter member(about to be described) are adapted to cooperate with the flange I l ofthe shade and nest within the recess formed by that flange, as will beapparent from the drawing. Therefore, the supporter is largely hiddenwithin the candle-shade under normal conditions of use, for example, ona table at a level below the eyes of the observers. Unless an observerlooks almost vertically into the top of the shade, ordinarily the shadesupporter will not be seen.- It will be evident also that the supporterwill not throw a shadow from the flame of the candle {2 on to thetubular portion ID of the shade.

The candle-shade supporter illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2 willnow be described. As is best shown in Fig. 2, the form ofshade supporter therein illustrated comprises a frame having sidemembers I4 and I6 and cross bars connecting said side members andrigidly holding them in spaced relation. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 thecross bars comprise tubes l8 and '26 through which pass bolts 22 and 26which clamp the side members 14 and I6 firmly in engagement with thetubes I8 and 29; but of course rivets may be employed in place ofv thebolts 22 and 24, or screws 22' and 24 which thread into the ends of thetubes I8 and 20 may be employed, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 whichshow the shade supporter and automatic candle-extinguisher which will belater described. Candle-engaging members 25 and 28 of the form apparentfrom Fig. 2, are slidingly supported on the tubes [8 and 2!).Surrounding the tubes l8 and 20 and located between the side members I4and the candle-engaging member 25 are coil springs 30 and 32;' and coilsprings 34 and 36 are preferably also arranged on the tubes l8 and 20between the sid'emember l6 and candle-engaging member 28. Thus springmeans are probeing applied to, moved on-or removed from a Y candle. Aswill be apparent from Fig. '2, the outer adjacent ends 49-4! and M--45of' the candle-engaging members 26 and 28 diverge from one another.These diverging ends facilitate movement of the candle-engaging members25 and 28 against the pressures exerted by the coil springs 3ll32 and3436. As will be apparent, the diverging ends 4-04l and 4445 may begrasped .conveniently, either by the thumb and forefinger. of both handsor by the thumband forefinger of one hand, to effect th necessarymovement of the candle-engaging members away from one another when the.supporter is being applied to, moved on or removed from a candle.

As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the candle-engaging members 26 and 28are bent away from one another at their middle portions 50 and 52, sothat they will cooperate properly with the candle. It will also beapparent from Fig. 2 that the ends 5455 and 56-51 of the side members i4and [B respectively are offset so that they extend in oppositedirections; and that these offset ends lie in the same circle and areadapted to cooperate with the upwardly extending portions of the shadeflange I I at points about apart, thereby properly locating the shade onthe supporter;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show a candle-shade supporter which is similar to thesupporter illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but is provided with theautomatic candle-extinguishing means hereinbefore mentioned. In thisembodiment of the invention, as will be apparent from Fig. 3, the sidemembers I4 and 16 are provided with upwardly extending lugs 60 and El,as is best shown in Fig. 3. These lugs 50 and 51 support auxiliary crossbars which may consist of bolts or rivets 64 and 65 which are parallelto the tubes l8'-20 which form part of the cross bars by which the sidemembers 14 and [6 are held spaced apart in parallel relation to oneanother.

Mounted for sliding movement rivets E4 and 65 are cooperatingcandle-extinguishing members 98 and 69 which are provided with holesaccommodating the side bolts or rivets 54 and 65. 65 and arrangedrespectively between each pair of the lugs 69-61 and the members 68 or69, are spring means in the form of coiled springs 10, 1!, l2 and '53which tend to hold the members 58 and 69 in engagement with one anotherwhile permitting their separation to engage a candle. The ends 15,11, 19and E9 of the members 59 and 89 are oifset in some such manner as shownin Figs. 4 and in order to facilitate their manual movement away fromone another when the shade supporter is being applied to, moved on orremoved from a candle.

The manner in which the candle-engaging members 26 and 28 engage acandle will be obvious from the drawing. It will also be evident fromFig. 4 that, when the candle supporter there shown is applied to acandle, the candle-extinguishing members 58 and 99 are also inengagement with the cylindrical surface of the candle l2. As the waxportion of the candle is consumed, there comes a time when the members58 and 69 will be no longer held separated from one another by thecandle but will move toward one another under the influence of thesprings 15, 1 I 12 and 13, and will reach the positions shown in Fig. 5,and the engagement of those members 68 and 59 with the wick of thecandle will extinguish its fiame. When the candle flame is thusextinguished, it is an indication that the candleshade holder should belowered-on the candle, or a new candle should be inserted. Thus anydanger that the candleeshade and the supporter will topple from thecandle during the burning of the latter is eliminated. Moreover, thecandle-shade supporter shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 positively insures thatthe candle upon which it is used will be automatically extinguished whenthe wax has been consumed to a point substantially on a level with theupper surface of the shade supporter.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A candle-shade supporter comprising a frame having side memberswith free ends lying on the bolts or Surrounding the bolts or rivets 64and 4 in the same circle and adapted to cooperate with a candle-shade,said side members being connected only by a single pair of cross-barsattached at their ends to said side members and rigidly supporting thelatter in spaced relation, candle-engaging members having adjacent freeends which are adapted to be manually engaged and are slidinglysupported on said pair of cross-bars, and

spring means cooperating with each side member and the adjacentcandle-engaging member and tending to hold said candle-engaging membersin engagement with one another while permitting their manual separationto engage a candle.

2. A candle-shade supporter according to claim 1, in which the saidadjacent free ends of the candle-engaging members diverge from oneanother, thereby facilitating their manual separation.

3. A candle-shade supporter according to claim 1, in which the free endsof each side member are ofiset so that the ends of the side membersextend respectively in opposite directions and lie about apart in thesame circle.

4. A candle-shade supporter according to claim 1, in which said sidemembers are each provided with two upwardly extending lugs, and in whichthere are auxiliary cross-bars connecting said lugs,candle-extinguishing members. supported and slidable on said auxiliarycross-bars, and spring means cooperating with said lugs and with saidcandle-extinguishing members and tending to hold saidcandle-extinguishing members in engagement with one another whilepermitting theirseparation to engage a candle.

5. A candle-shade supporter according to claim 4, in which said springmeans cooperating with said candle-extinguishing members consists ofcoil springs surrounding said auxiliary cross-bars.

6. A candle-shade supporter according to claim 4, in which the adjacentends of said candle-extinguishing members diverge from one another.JAMES A. McHOLLAN.'

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

